Three Times the Return
by Ebony10
Summary: A sequel to Sweeter than Chocolate. White Day finally comes and Nodame reaps the returns of her Valentine's Day gift to Chiaki.


Okay, this is late! It was supposed to come out on March 14 as a sequel to Sweeter than Chocolate, but this last quarter school got very chaotic and busy. Here it is, though! Better late than never, right? Anyway, it was written and posted in one day so if there are any mistakes, please let me know!

Also, I don't own them.

**Three Times the Return**

March 14. The day the Japanese celebrate White Day. Very unique—a holiday where the men paid the women back for their Valentine's gifts, usually threefold. Traditionally, the man would spend three times as much as the woman did to show his appreciation.

Chiaki had hardly participated in the holiday before. Sure, when he was with Saiko he had purchased her expensive silk scarves, purses, etc. But that stuff was easy. Thoughtless.

Nodame was a bit more difficult.

Over the last month, his desires had been increasingly harder to suppress. Her pouting lips while she played the piano seemed an endless torture, but he managed to be strong. Each time temptation reared, he would close his eyes and remember that sun-filled morning when he had savored the Hershey kiss Nodame had gifted him.

He knew what she was hoping for: that the 'return' on White Day would not be three times the amount of the chocolates, but rather that he would exchange quantity for quality. In her mind, three chocolate kisses were certainly equal to one real kiss.

Chiaki smiled as he quietly left her apartment, carefully navigating the piles on the floor. He had plans.

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Nodame stretched, then buried her head back into her pillow. Good thing class was canceled today. She was exhausted. That one movement was still giving her trouble. If only she could see in it what the composer had seen...

Her eyes snapped open as she came fully awake. White Day!

Cheerfully, she hopped up out of bed, ready to go find Chiaki and see if her plan worked. She had been so patient. Resisted temptation to jump him as he slept on Valentine's Day, didn't mention her gift to him at all, waited a whole month to reap the benefits of her scheme...

She threw on a jumper that smelled relatively clean and made her way to the living room area.

What met her gaze caused her heart to sink in disappointment.

Hershey kisses covered practically every surface, creating beautiful lights on the walls as the sunshine refracted off the silver wrappers.

Any other time, she would have been ecstatic. Over the moon happy at the romantic gesture.

But...it wasn't the gesture she was hoping for. He hadn't understood her message on Valentine's Day. She sighed and picked up a candy, absentmindedly unwrapping it and popping it in her mouth. The chocolate was succulent, sweet.

But not what she had hoped for.

Steeling herself, she forced her slumped shoulders to straighten. Oh well. It was still lovely and more than she could have ever expected from Chiaki even six months ago. A step forward in their relationship—slower than she would have liked, but forward nonetheless. Tugging on her boots, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. She was due at Chiaki's apartment. He was supposed to listen to her piano today and help her. Then he had promised her a feast for lunch.

Her stomach growled at the thought of food so she palmed a few more chocolates as she passed them. Now that she had decided to accept what he had given and hide her disappointment, she marveled at how many candies there were. There had to be hundreds. Definitely more than three times the return, she surmised. She wondered what that meant.

Nodame let herself into Chiaki's apartment and heard movement in the kitchen. "Tadaima, senpai!"

From the doorway, she watched him turn and scowl at him. "You're supposed to say that when you return home, Nodame. This is _my_ apartment."

She smiled at him sunnily, unperturbed by his grouchiness. "It's not the apartment, Chiaki-senpai. Where ever you are is home."

She could tell that he was pleased at her answer, but trying to hide it. His eyes softened before he brusquely turned back to the stove. "The piano's ready for you to start. I'll be there in a moment."

She contemplated his back for a moment, wondering if she should push her luck. She grinned. Let it not be said that Noda Megumi was timid!

She felt Chiaki stiffen as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rubbed her face against the fabric of his shirt. He froze in his process of chopping vegetables. "Thank you, senpai, for the chocolates."

She felt his movements as he set down the knife. She couldn't help but brace herself to be pushed away. Instead, he surprised her, turning within the circle of her arms and wrapping his own around her. Easily, he pulled her closer. She was practically limp in his arms from shock.

"You were pleased with them?" He gently questioned. She couldn't see his face, but was a little confused. It wasn't like senpai to seek reassurance. He usually expected that everything he did was right. Arrogant maybe, but just another part of his personality, really.

"Of course Nodame loved them. They were from her husband," she responded simply. Again she was surprised when he didn't disagree with her statement. She pulled back a bit, looking up at his face and meeting his soft gaze. "Is senpai feeling alright?"

He didn't answer for a long moment, his intense eyes locked on her own. Finally, he spoke. "So they were what you were expecting?"

Her brow furrowed. She hadn't really been expecting anything. Hoping, yes. But expecting...no, she would never assume with Chiaki. "They were perfect."

He noticed how she evaded really answering the question. He watched her expression as he spoke his next words. "Well, actually, I had been hoping for a different kind of gift on Valentine's Day."

Her lower lip stuck out in a pout. "You didn't like it?"

For a moment, he thought her eyes would tear up and he hurried to continue. "I liked it. It just wasn't what I hoped for."

Confusion showed yet again on her face. "What were you hoping for?"

"I was hoping for something sweeter than chocolate." He waited to see if she would follow where his words were taking them. He could sense her hesitation, her uncertainty. "You didn't have to hide with the chocolate, Nodame."

She looked at him for a moment, trying to discern if he was saying what she thought he was. Slowly, hesitantly, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, her eyes fluttering shut. She didn't move, merely held the gentle kiss before returning her feet to the ground and her eyes to his, which were lazily opening. She waited for his reaction.

He smiled at her. "A little late, but a great Valentine's Day gift."

She smiled back at him, almost shy now that he had allowed her a display of affection. She wasn't quite sure what to do now, but she didn't want to scare him off so she started to ease out of his embrace (something she _really_ didn't want to do) in order to focus on breakfast. For the umpteenth time that morning, he didn't react as she expected. His arms tightened, preventing her from leaving his embrace. He smirked mischievously.

"Now it's time for my response to that gift. I won't make you wait another month," he added. She looked up at him, wide eyed. Was he saying what she thought he was?

"Chiaki—"

Her next words were swallowed by his lips as he leaned down and kissed her, his arms tugging her flush to his body. Though just as beautiful as the first kiss, it was not as gentle. Tilting his head a bit more, Chiaki deepened the kiss. At the first touch of his tongue to her lips, Nodame shuddered and clutched at the back of his shirt, opening her mouth to allow him access.

It was several minutes before they separated. Chiaki took in her glazed, content look and grinned.

"Was that three times the return?"

Nodame blinked, his words sinking in. Regaining some sense of equilibrium, her eyes sparkled up at him impishly. "I think you owe me a little more."

The sound of Chiaki's amused laughter filled the kitchen. Something told him the returns would be endless, but he found he didn't mind at all. His laughter faded as he grew serious.

Then there was only silence. Silence and something sweeter than chocolate.


End file.
